Diagnostic PCRs

Ref ID: 19461

Author:

M. Cuenca-Estrella

Author address:

Spanish National Center for Microbiology, Madrid, Spain

Full conference title:

6th Trends in Medical Mycology 2013

Date: 11 October 2014

Abstract:

The diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) continues to present
limitations. Classical methods such as culture, where several days
are required to observe growth, are not effective for early diagnosis.
Microscopic examination and histopathological studies have also
significant drawbacks. Microscopy cannot be considered an early
diagnostic technique or one by means of which it is possible to
classify the species causing the fungal infection. Histopathological
examinations are able to determine if the infection is caused by
yeasts or by mycelial fungi, and if one of the latter group is an
agent of hyalohyphomycosis, phaeohyphomycosis, or zygomycosis.
In addition, expertise is usually needed for interpretation and their
reliability decreased when inexperienced observer examines the
sample. Molecular methods unlike galactomannan quantification
and beta-glucan detections are not included among criteria of IFD
diagnosis (EORTC, ESCMID guidelines”¦). However, recent results
indicate that PCR-based molecular techniques enable the fast and
sensitive detection of aspergillosis and candidiasis by amplification
of small amounts of DNA in serum and blood. These techniques
can help us to early detection of IFDs as exhibiting high sensitivity
rates and negative predictive values. In addition, their use on tissue
samples and cultures can be used as confirmatory techniques. Sev-
eral recent reports show molecular techniques to be complementary
procedures to conventional methods for IFD detection exhibiting
much higher sensitivity rate that microbiological culture and its
performance could be regarded as higher than that of microscopic
examination since molecular method is useful for fungal species
identification.

Abstract Number: w12.1

Conference Year: 2013

Link to conference website: NULL

New link: NULL

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